From the distance, a very powerful and terrifying energy had been real eased into the world. To all who were well versed in sensing energy, it's origin would be certain. Yet despite that, this force was so great, so intense that it would feel as if it originated from within this very building. There was simply no ignoring such an immense reiatsu, even at a distance. Whether it inspired awe, or inspired fear all would know its will, its hatred, its fury, its wrath.

It would come in a blur, and seek to lay waste to them all.
In a flash, the beast sought to let loose a calamity crafted by its own hands.
Its sole purpose to leave nothing but charred remains and ash...

On tour round the Division on a routine check was the newly appointed Vice Captain of the 2nd Division, Darius Lohr. Clad in an all black attire of a long sleeve shirt and a pair of pants and boots, his black coat danced to the rythym of the passing wind. This was a man who had fought many fights in the past as he did now in his head, a constant battle for sanity_as he once again finds himself in a fortress of assassins, a place and people who've ingrained themselves in the art of speed and stealth. This felt like home in nearly every aspect of the word. Now, it was he who's task it was to not only uphold but improve the quality of assassins produced in this fortress.

As he made his way through the pebbled floor of the spaced courtyard, he would suddenly pause his forward motion and tilt his head to the Southern part of Seireitei. It was loud, bearing, mournful, yet filled with understandable rage, a clear, purposeful warning to all of his presence. Its resonance came from every angle but its source was simply unmistaken for the Vice Captain, it came from the Pit. A furious outlet of Immense Reiatsu recognizable by only those who know. The legendary beast of the 7th; Solus Solaris, his message was heard throughout the far ends of world, inspiring awe to some and fear in majority.

The 6.5ft tall Vice Captain would slowly shut his eyes, inspired by the reassurance of Solus' existence. The inexplicable joy of knowing such power still existed in a world full of the weak and feeble. I hear you, King of Beasts said the Lieutenant who would adjust himself before continuing his walk past the courtyard and into the main building located on the North side.

With his hands tucked into his outer garment crossed over his front, the shinigami bald in nature stepped outside the 2nd division barracks with a smile over his face and his lungs feed up with the cool gentle breeze. His demeanor coated with a tint of surprise and satisfaction beamed through giving him an extra glow, much like a man kissed by the rays of the sun. ‘What a place to be’ he imagined as he made his way due North towards the second division HQ.

Not long ago was he out in the streets, a place where shelter was only a state of mind and a concept only known to few. Being one of the unlucky many, this was something he hadn't had for a while at least not after his death as a human and though not overly bothered by where he laid his head, it was still truly nice to have a cozy bed and a warm bath once in a while. That so far had been the ordeal of the day since his arrival at the second division. "What more could he ask for" he wondered, with each gentle step made with the charisma of a king.

As the gentle breeze tugged along his religious robe, and with the chirping of birds echoing through the clear skies. Kin quickly tuned into his inner chi in an attempt to get a lock on his Vice-captains Reiatsu. A figure he had always wanted to meet, in a bid to offer his services for pulling him out of the streets.

However, like a chick swapped over by the shadow of the scouting Eagle, the feelings of fear, rage and insecurity immediately washed down the Shinigami's presence, causing a momentary stop in his gallant movement. His demeanor once calm and settled became a bit more serious and on alert, as if ready for an attack. For a while not a single sound could be heard, not even that off birds which would suddenly drown down to provide total silence. As both man and beast alike would naturally scamper for fear of their lives.

The shinigami would eventually heave a sigh of relief as the owners identity becomes clear to him, before continuing his step forward. IT was only him after all, the beast who kept the seventh in check. The shinigami would only wonder what could have caused such outburst this day, but whatever it was. It was sure to have been handled by now.

Without wasting further time on idle thoughts, Kin would continue his journey down the courtyard, till he was standing before the main building (the second division HQ).

Stepping through the courtyard and into the Divison's main building, Darius exhaled heavily as though he'd solved a hard puzzle. Something weighed on his mind since the day began, it was a thought regarding the competence of the Division's members, were they truly assassins or makeshifts? His resolve was set like the carvings in a wall... to imbue discipline and self reliance upon all who called themselves members of the 2nd. In that moment, a new era was seemingly forged into motion, and his first action was to call a meeting with the current High Seated Officer within his Division to the operations room. The message would be carried by a hell butterfly to its target.

Operations Room

At this point, the Vice-Captain walked through the long hallway up North to the entrance of the operations room. Upon entry he stood halfway across the room with arms crossed behind him_ as he waited for Kim to arrive, a capable and trusted officer of the 2nd, perhaps together they could accomplish what seemed daunting.

MAIN BUILDING
Once within view of the 2nd division s Head Quarters, with the entrance door only a few feet away. The shinigami calmly adjusted his left hand to push open the doorway, allowing it slide open as required, thereby granting him passage into the buildings hallway. Achieving this with little effort, the shinigami walked into the hallway before returning his hand to its previously assumed position with the door closing off behind him.

His eye quickly adjusting to the lighting of the room immediately made contact with a hell butterfly, headed south towards his location. Without further a, due a message rang loud enough for his ear to pick up, carrying with it the words of his vice-captain who had requested his presence be felt at the 2nd divisions operation room. His movement now accompanied by the butterfly would slightly hasten as he makes his way north towards the operation room.

OPERATION ROOM
With gentle tamed steps, The Shinigami walked into the operation room to find Darius, the 6ft moderately built gladiator of a man adorned in a furry black coat, standing halfway within the room arms crossed behind his back. His posture and appearance still like that of a resting cat gave of no sign of worries which Kin could relate to.

With his purpose and intentions yet unknown, Kin moved a few feet’s forward till he was facing Darius at a 4-meter gap.

“You summoned?” he would quickly intone after a slight bow as his form of greeting.

The downward movement of the door knob signified the arrival of Kin Ryuu who would pace forward and towards the Vice-Captain in gentle silent steps, stopping at a four meter gap from him. "You summoned," he said with a slight bow. As the words left his mouth the Vice-Captain would quickly follow with a reply. 'Great... you're here.'

Reaching out his left hand to grab a scroll atop a desk beside him, Darius would toss it to the bald monk. Within it reads,

'You shall head the Inner Court Corps from this day forth and lead the unit to the South Rukongai, District 78, a special form of hollow capable of casting illusions to deceive its prey has emerged in that location, many officers have gone missing and I need you to contain the situation. Gather every intel you find and report back in two days.'

He would pause for the monk to go through this information before continuing orally, Success is of the essence. That is all for now.

With Daruis immediate reply, Kin attention would be drawn to a scroll tossed towards him by the man before him. In response to this the shinigami would only raise his right hand and grab it mid air before adjusting his left to stretch open the scroll.

In total silence the pale Shinigami would quickly glance through the content of the scroll.

'You shall head the Inner Court Corps from this day forth and lead the unit to the South Rukongai, District 78, a special form of hollow capable of casting illusions to deceive its prey has emerged in that location, many officers have gone missing and I need you to contain the situation. Gather every intel you find and report back in two days.'

Once done, the monk would re adjust the scroll, sliding it into his garment as the vice captain makes clear the state of urgency behind assigned mission.

With no more than a slight bow, the monk would immediately vanish from sight arriving at the HQ entrance in one burst. This he would achieve by skillfully applying his experience in hoho to get through the hallway till he was standing at the office befitting his newly assigned status.

Inner corps commander, So it begins..

Walking over to the desk suituated at the end of his office for a glance through the windows behind it, Kin would immediately send out a message of his own calling all inner corps members for an emergency mission at Rukogani district.

With each member expected to gather at the training ground in 10 minutes, the shinigami would disperse the butterflies as him himself dashes back to the barrack for a more official change in clothing..

With refined reflexes the monk grabbed onto the scroll mid-air before rolling it open to gaze upon the message written there-in. In haste he was done...and quickly, he slid it into his garment as Darius spoke his final words. Giving yet another bow he vanished from his position without delay to see to his mission, deep down Darius felt uneasy, not for the safety or result of the mission, but for something yet unexplained.

He would head out of the operations room and towards his office on the right side of the building, perhaps a quiet time would solve his worry. Sadly, he would be met with unending paperwork from daily dealings of the Division.

Office of the Vice-Captain

Now within his office, he would take a seat across his desk before tilting his head downwards to his right to observe his dog Mazra, she seemed worried too, this feeling...what could it be?

"Darius...shall we begin?" a soothing feminine voice said sarcastically_in a mocking tone. 'Do you mock me? Kagutsuchi, I'll have you finish this paperwork,' he said in a stern outward appearance. "my my...always so serious eh? Chappy boy."'Don't call me tha...'"Alrighty then, Sir..." she would quickly intone in a giggle before continuing, "We better get started on the hard part." At this time, Darius would exhale heavily as a sign of readiness to comply.

With the ever-ticking hands of time traveling along its axis, individuals short and tall, slim and fat all gathered at the training ground suited up and ready for battle. With each adorned in the required black ninja kimono, one could only wonder what had brought the crows out to play. However to them, "Arrive at the training ground within the next ten minutes” were all they knew, and all they needed to hear to crawl out from their holes.

“What was wrong? Why were we summoned? Could this be an orientation? I hear we have a new commander!”

This and many more were whispers raging through the immediate surrounding as individuals gathered in their numbers. A few stood / sat in total silence while others socialized with each other, giggling and arguing all the way through.

In matter of seconds, the once silent training ground became more active than an average streets of the Rukogani district. However, like every fleeting moment this too did not last.

With the slightest change in the wind signaling Kins arrival at the fore front of the crowd. The members of the corps who up until now communicated casually, quickly gathered together, creating multiple rows and column of each other, and like the passing of phantom ghosts, A sudden silence quickly washed through the vicinity.

While a few had acted out of reflexes in response to the movement of the crowd. Others sensed the commanders Reiatsu which had been purposely leaked to call their attention.

With everyone’s stares and gazes now directed north at the commander whose face was well hidden behind a hood. Each member quickly took in details of his appearance, with emphasis on his physique, clothing and choice of weapon.

Clad in all black with his beads strapped around his right wrist, Kin calmly pulled his hood back, allowing the sun to reflect unto his bald head. A golden glow quickly resonated around him as he gazed off at each and every one of his members "what could they possibly do?" He wondered.

With a clear throat the Shinigami went ahead to address the congregation as a Seikaimo gate comes into view a few feet behind him.

“We’ve been assigned a mission from HQ which would require peak performance from everyone here”.

“Our mission?" "head into to Seireite and stop a hollow invasion.”

“Our opponents have been reported to have unique illusionary capabilities and as such would require special care. ”

with a slight sigh of relief the olive skinned shinigami would add one more statement.

“As the current commander of this corps, I will also let you know that anyone, who drags behind would be left behind.”

With that said, the Shinigami would run into the gate allowing others follow behind, after which the gate eventually closes up behind the last.

Barracks
Following his recent appointment as the new Captain of the 2nd Division, Darius Lohr made a few modifications to his outward appearance from his usual all black furry outfit to the standard shihakkusho, a pair of white tabi, a pair of brown-coloured waraji and a white haori. Shutting the door behind him_he made his way down to the bottom floor and into the living room space. It was serene and tidy, with his hot coffee already in place at the dining table. He would pace forward to sit in a meditating position beside the table before lifting the cup for a sip. And as he did, thoughts of his Vice-Captain's arrival from the mission to District 78 weighed on his mind. He trusts the competence of his surbodinates but having not heard a word from the patrol unit left him in the shadows. As he pondered, he was interupted by a familiar female voice. "Taicho...would you like your breakfast now?" said the Division's cook. 'Not yet, I have some work cut out for me this morning...perhaps after that,' Darius replied, with a smile. "Aye" she replied, with a bow. Afterwhich he would raise his cup for another sip of the soothing coffee.

Returning from his mission to the districts with shoulders held high, a broad smile stretched along his face, and his two-hands crossed in front. Kin the crazy monk as most of his subordinates secretly referred to him, stepped out from a Seikaimon gate located directly in front of the divisions HQ. The gates appearance occurring only moments after the glow of a bright light few seconds earlier, had purposely manifested in front of the HQ against Kins wishes, and for reasons still unknow to him.

With the sun now up in the sky and the gentle breeze combing through the silent landscape, the Shinigami could already feel what he had missed for days unending. Peace and quiet he silently muttered.

Taking in deep breaths the 2nd division 3rd seated officer calmly stepped aside to allow a few injured members of the patrol units come through the gates while he supervised his surrounding as if expectant of something or someone.

It was always quiet in the division however he had hoped to be welcomed by a group of individuals or at least someone, with detailed explanation on what was wrong with the gate.

Returning his attention to the gate, where a total of twenty individuals, 5 of which were critically injured with the remaining battered and beaten crawled their way out of the gate. The sight of the crew would only make the olive skinned Shinigami wonder if he had gone too easy on them.

He could clearly remember his last mission with the inner corps like it was only yesterday. Even that had more casualties than this but that was basically because they were forced to fend of the enemy blind folded.. He could also remember how fun it was for him to watch them fool around even though this also reduced the enemies strength. Being able to cast illusions was truly a terrible ability especially when used against the weak minded folks.

This time the Patrol unit had faced a different scenario seeing as they were faster and more adept to battle conditions than the last unit. But who was he to complain about the results, he could clearly remember leaving with a 100 of them in a mission to fend off a rising threat of gangsters & disturbances caused by hollows of different calibers and ability.

At a mere glance, one could clearly see that all had not gone as planned as only 20 had made it back with him. However, thinking about what had happened, would only go to act as a mood killer for the Shinigami who would rather maintain his happy demeanor this beautiful morning. At the moment all he could really care for was a hot pot of porridge and a day at the spar.

With the last individual out from the gate, Kin would watch the doors fade away as he counted in a low tone he numbers one to ten like a wall clock keeping account of each second. On reaching the number the ten a group of individuals all covered in black would appear before him all in their knees with their heads bowed. With most of them already out of breath kin would let out an audios laughter as he clapped his hands in acknowledgement of their skills. With their numbers summing up at 80 one could immediately tell this was the remaining members of the squad which kin had personally giving his own assignment, to run all the way back to HQ, after their tedious five days battle.

"Now this is a Unit I can be proud of" the Shinigami uttered as he observed each and everyone one of them rise up to their feet. With a slight nod the Shinigami dismissed the group allowing them to go rehabilitate their selves while he too does the same, right after checking in with his Captain that is.

Settling his gaze at the entrance of the HQ, Kin would come to find another individual dressed in a purple kimono with a familiar hand-band belonging to a Vice-Captain in her hands.

“Welcome back Kin Ryuu, we have a lot to talk about”, the mysterious female Shinigami uttered as both individual stepped into the HQ.

Walking up the flight of steps before him, Kin arrived at the top alone with a black band with the kanji "Vice- Captain" Fastened to his left arm. With the lady already out of sight after her short briefing, Kin continued his journey upwards through the courtyard.

With his sight aimed for the main building, the olive skin Shinigami soliloquized on the information's relayed to him. Remembering her exact words "The beasts are on the move" Kin would only hope it wasn't as bad as he imagined it be, However he was sure the captain must have also got a wind of this information.

With heavy steps the Shinigami paced up the courtyard till he was at the Main hall, where he quickly pulled open the door.

"Good morning vice-captain" an inner Corps member carrying a tray of snacks quickly uttered on seeing him step into the building.

At first glance, Kin could already tell she was on her way to the stores for the regular morning bookkeeping.

"Yeah, morning Izumo, Is the Captain in yet?"

"No, he has not checked in this morning," the 5 ft Caucasian female replied with certainty in her tone.

"According to our Intel he's not left the Barracks this morning." She added

"What of the commander has he arrived yet".

"No, not yet sir, but he was last spotted entering the pit of beasts". She replied

"Pit of beasts?" The Shinigami questioned absent mindedly as he wondered what he would be doing their so early in the morning.

Unsure of what the vice-captain meant by such question, the young Caucasian female proceeded with answering the question the best way she could Possibly do.

"Yes sir the pits, also know as the 7th division..."

"No need for that Izumo," the olive skin Shinigami quickly uttered stopping the lady halfway into her explanation.

"You can carry on with what you were doing". "But first let me have one of those chips."

Dismissing the young lady as quickly as possible and with a pack of potato flavored chips at hand, Kin quickly rush into the main building were he grabed his golden staff which rested adjacent a wall behind his desk before zooming out of the main building in Shunpo.

As the last drop left his cup, the Captain felt the presence of a recognizable spiritual energy appear before him, though he perceived his arrival with relative ease, the being before him was stealthy and would escape the perception of all but the most advanced combatants. He had on a long wooden hat, a body-fitted maroon coloured kimono, a long sleeve top and a backpack. This was none other than the Inner Court Corps, possessing no identity to be addressed by_the Captain would wait for the news he brought.

Handing over a brown coloured scroll to the Captain and still in a crouching position with his head bent downwards, he would relay some info to the Captain directly. "Taicho, details of the mission lie within the scroll, the company just arrived but the Vice-Captain is currently at the Pit Of Beasts in a bid to retrive fourth seat Aoshi from his rude entry into the 7th, currently they're faced against the Captain and Vice".

Following the statement, Darius would drop his cup down at the table with visible anger on his face, tainted with fear for the lives of his surbodinates as badging into such a place without an invitation which if was...still remained a danger. His hope remained only with his Vice-Captain to ensure their safe return if he_himself were to be unable to get there in time, given the distance between both Divisions, even for him would take a while. Rising to his full size and build, he would bite down on his teeth in an attempt to keep himself from bursting in anger, for the sheer magnitude and power of his Reiatsu could bring visible damage to the very floor on which he stood.

Being a man of considerable wisdom, he found it best to await their arrival before issuing any form of punishment, but as his massive size slightly swayed randomly in thought, he leapt once and at an unperceptable speed to many...was outside the barracks. 'Perhaps Kin may very well succeed against the odds,' he pondered inwardly. Still he stood, unshaken and trusting...for he couldn't leave the Division unattended. His current state of mind shifted gradually akin to the fury of a vexed god, yet calm enough not to frighten those around. Another long stride would bring him to the Main Building once and in an instant.

Leaves dispersed across a staircase, due to the deciduousness of adjacent trees, crucnched under the impression of gentle footfalls. Behind these subtle steps was an apparently 'teenage' individual whose shoulder-length hair was as golden as a full-blown sun. The figure dorned garbs that were habitual for shinigami, albeit in-lieu of a white sash, he had an azure piece of clothing wound around the waist, and holstered to said sash were a sword pair comprising a wakizashi and a katana. The individual climbed upwards and he did so with an obvious leisure, moving neither too fast nor too slow as he made his way towards the courtyard region of the second division.

EARLIER

Dawn dissuaded, and with its hasty withdrawal came the first few brilliant rays of sunlight. They beamed seemingly aimlessly, effectively suffusing the early morning atmosphere with a comforting warmth, which in its own way served a reservoir of strength to the diurnal majority of soul society, and this was evident in how little time had elapsed before birds of distinct categories began to chorus their harmonious songs joyously.

Meanwhile, within the Kirara clan manor, a fast-asleep golden-haired individual clad in snow-white robes had started to regain his connection to the present. The blonde's eyelids fluttered as his underlying pupils tried to adjust themselves to the new-found luminescence of the room.

The boy sighed aloud, then made weird postures (with his arms and legs) that were accompanied by cracking noises; the sort which hinted at the issue of stiffened joints being remedied. Having stretched to his heart's content, the blonde arose to flaunt his full height, and began to strut in the direction of a window beside his bed. He'd shove the glassware aside only for a soothing gale to almost immediately assault his face, whipping his bangs backwards vigorously. The boy relaxedly shut his eyes, inhaled frantically, then breathed outwards through his mouth. He glanced at the vacant courtyard for a moderate amount of time, his crimson eyes ever so glazed with anticipation. In that instant the blonde's mouth curved into a shortlived smile, just before his pupils darted sideways to notice a pair of sheathed swords that rested on his bed.

"First things first- a good bath, and then subsequently to pay an unprecedented visit to the second division. It is high-time I dealt with my curiosity as concerns the identity of its newly elected captain'' he said in thought.

Main Building
Still occupied with needless thought, a fresh yet unknown scent dragged along the North-blown wind long before the meager spirit pressure it possessed was felt. A long pressed sigh indicating the acknowledgement of a guest sipped unbeknowingly from his lips as his mind cleared gradually to attend to this individual. Uninvited and possessing a stroke of confidence from his pace and footwork, Darius was intrigued as to what his mission was.

Still a notable distance ahead, Darius took liberty to inspect in person. In a single bound, he'd stopped some meters beside the uprising blondie, then as quickly_reached the rooftop not far above, and vanished once more back to the front door of the main building. This he'd done under the influence of a rather unique level of Hoho indulgence, insighting that said guest would be oblivious to every step taken before him.

Upon his return, he noted the bladed pair suspended on a white sash and a piece of azure-coloured clothing bound on his waist. Hair colour, age range and facial expression hinting someone in thought.

"Sir, he seems to be a Junior Officer of the Seventh, should we dispose of him?" said a figure from the shadows in a near-by underlying grass.

The Captain would think this to be a rather unusual turn of event, given that his surbodinates unflingingly badged into the Seventh to face Solus, perhaps such is about to unfold in this Fortress.'No, lets see what entertainment he brings.'

Now in sight after the flight of stairs, it seemed like ages just lying in wait. The herculean man would attempt to shorten the gap between them but this time with normal, perceptable strides akin to the gold haired teenager before him, increasing bits of his Reiatsu outlet with every step, for he; Darius, was one with an overwhelming level of spirit pressure even over great distances, and as such prefers minded use of its magnificence to prevent uncalled havoc. But now in time, he sipped it with intent. Death comes to all who fall to their knees before him, and only through him can one access the luxuries within. For unknown reasons, he hoped this boy was more than just a knee-bender, though not much could be done in the presence of such furious outlet. It is noted that Darius had let out but a fraction of his might, but still wild enough to show seriousness.

Upon reaching an audible distance from him, Darius would deeply intone 'What brings you here boy? This is no playground.'

The blonde shinigami finally concluded his ascent up what seemed an infinite flight of stairs. The mind could be very deceitful in its perception of time. Merely, a few seconds had passed since he began this tedious climb, nonetheless, it felt as though hours had been spent traversing each step.

The quite natural thing for him to do as of now was to contiue into the pebbled grounds of the Second's courtyard region. However, for reasons unstated the golden-haired noble was incited to stop in his tracks, with his pupils flashing a bright crimson as they darted appropriately to scan the environment for a brief instant. Right afterwards, he sighed, then retracted his gaze_audibly relating the cause for the sudden display of weariness to have been purely fictitious. Most times, the brain just crafts this feeling that we're being watched when no such thing is actually happening.

Having shrugged off his intuition, Seraph opted to throd forth, but mid-step and just when his foot was about to make contact with the floor, he instantly felt a tremendous pressure lay siege to his body. Like a tidal wave it washed against the very core of his being. The invading spiritual pressure was so densely volatile that it made his blood roil vigorously. As if bound by phantasmal chains, the blonde shinigami was near instantly rendered helpless against a swift petrifaction. Incapable of twitching even the muscles that lined his eyelids. Then and there, footfalls boomed to declare the presence of a black haired fellow dressed in a shihakusho adorned with a white haori. The nearer the strange man drew towards him, the more abysmally Seraph suffered at the hands of his annoyingly oppressive reiatsu. Since the attire the man wore was becoming of a captain. Definitely, this person was the first seat of the Second Division- Darius Lohr.

The blonde shinigami had heard that Darius's appearance was paradoxical for someone currently occupying a seat only the swiftest of deathgods were known to mount_but seeing the man up front and personal, Seraph couldn't help but confirm the rumours to have been the bitter truth. Based on how captains that hailed from the Second prioritized speed over all else, he'd thought their bodies had to be thoroughly groomed in line with that notion. Yet looking at Darius; a herculean figure towering easily over 6ft 5 inches, with an overly muscular physique and an appallingly homicidal aura, Seraph was unconvinced. Darius couldn't possibly be that nimble. The insignia emblazoned on his haori might have denoted 'Second Division', but the air Darius gave off screamed 'Kenpachi'.

[DAWN-ROARS]

Seraph cursed at his so called good fortune. To have been welcomed with this much hostility, it was probable that whatever Darius had in store for him definitely wasn't anything decent. At the moment, the blonde shinigami's innate survival instincts surfaced as he engaged in a battle of attrition with the downforce of Darius's spiritual pressure. He passed off a struggle, steeling his mind and using nothing but that sheer will power to refuse to be acquainted knee-first with the ground; a baseless effort honestly seeing as it didn't remedy his affliction in any way whatsoever. If he had succeeded in accomplishing anything worth attention, it was barely slowing down the inevitable. He was still tending towards the floor alright, but fortunately at a much slower pace than normal, courtesy of his 'futile' resistance.

The whole thing seemed all too familiar to the blonde shinigami, It made him feel nostalgic somehow, but as to why it did, he couldn't tell. He'd probably been faced with a much similar situation in the past, but his memories were being a tad too greedy with sharing at the moment.

Suddenly, Seraph found himself confined to a bleak tunnel, one devoid of light itself. Completely robbed of his sense of vision, his every step resulted in a stumble into one obstacle or the other that lied in his path. He would occasionally run into stones, boulders and even adjacent walls. At this point the metallic scent of viable blood had already began to waft through the air. Bruised all over and running low on stamina, the blonde shinigami could no longer afford to move an inch. He reached out to a nearby wall using his palm, reclined on the bumpy vertical surface and slumped to the ground. As time went on, the blonde shinigami started hyperventilating. The fact that his breathing was laboring hinted that his body couldn't handle the stress anymore, and was now on the verge of utter collapse. Soon, his consciousness threatens to abandon him, but by constantly biting his lower lip, the blonde shinigami managed to fasten himself to the boundaries of reality.

Amidst the blinding darkness, all the sounds between heaven and earth muted, save for his heart beat. That heart beat was all that he could hear, and following each passing beat, the succeeding one had a weaker resonance than the former.

".....So be it" Muttered Seraph dispiritedly.
He'd put up a fight at least, what use was persevering when the voice of fate had already passed a verdict.

Instantly, a bone-chilling voice tore through the tranquility of the moment, reverberating within the dimly lit cave.

"What awaits you is the most brutal, and callous treatment you will ever know. A harshness that would make even the most blood thirsty of hollow seem like mere infants" The voice paused just brief enough, perhaps to let its listener assimilate the words. Albeit, shortly afterwards it resonated yet again.

"Every bit of you will be challenged beyond anything you have ever faced before, and we will not relent. This place favors and accepts only the strongest, the smartest, the most capable of fighters. If that is not you, if you cannot become that, you have no place here" said the voice bluntly.

"What the Gotei needs now are people willing to push beyond their limits and obtain the level of competence that will not only prevent, but ensure the same calamity that left our organization in this sorry state will never again occur. This is but your one and only easy way out from the hell that awaits you should you stay." The voice went on.

The blonde shinigami's body spasmed. It seemed to remember the stigma those very frigid words, previously long forgotten, had caused it. Following one final pause, the voice resurfaced to conclude in a much more serious tone.

"If you are willing to proceed, knowing fully well, or perhaps not at all how difficult the future here will be, step forward and declare it so. Make it loudly known to both The Proving Flame, and to us that you are willing to forsake what humanity you have now in order to transcend beyond the shackles that bind you now. Make it known, that no suffering, no hardship, lack of rank, or fear of banishment or death will deter you from pressing forward and becoming more than just a capable Shinigami, but the staunch defender that Gotei has severely lacked for all too long. Make your decree, and be bound by the might of The Flame"

The corner of the blonde shinigami's mouth curved into a smile "Lord Solus.." Uttered Seraph.

Instantly a sword bloomed out of thin air right in front of the blonde shinigami, and in a flash pale golden flames surged down the full length of its blade. The Katana bore an eerie sentience that the blonde shinigami seemed to almost immediately resonate with.

"I hear you." Proclaimed Seraph, as he quickly and forcefully grabbed the katana's hilt. Synchronously, the inflamed sword issued out an ear-piercing/resounding roar, explosively burning so passionately that it bathed the entire interior of the cave in an obscure white light akin to a brilliant dawn willing darkness to dissuade in a flash.

In current time, the blonde shinigami should've have stopped descending_seemingly now tolerant of the oppressive force constantly pressuring him. He mumbles to himself that compared to the true beasts he'd had the pleasure of encountering in the Pit, Darius's treatment was something light.

"I came to sightsee, but since I'm not welcomed here I'd be taking my leave." retorted Seraph in a rather indifferent manner. Ensuring that he sounded neither rude, nor polite. After all, Darius hadn't been exactly 'hospitable' with him from the start, so he wasn't going to be hypocritical.

The resonant footsteps of the herculean figure brought along dread for the unfortunate soul under its influence. Though almost completely restraining itself, untold havoc was the lot of its current target, a willful display of power or perhaps just an excuse to seize a life. A yet conscious side of his being hoped the little boy had some magic, having stepped into the Fortress uninvited, even then could still disuade a parent hand from admonishing punishment, only time held the answers.

On the onset, it seemed as though the young lad had'nt even the slightest hope against such impending danger, one so passionately antagonistic of weakness, yet, in peril...an absence of mind hinted the blondie ran off into another line of thought_though briefly, returned with a perculiar resistance for something so numbing. At best he passed his first test marginally, gaining the right to breath a second more.

"I came to sightsee, but since I'm..." impatient to listen to the boy's answer, Darius hastened in a single bound to cover the space seperating them, subsequently aiming to grab unto his neck and lift him from the earth with his right arm. If successful, he would utter the following. 'Giving up already?... You're far too young to lose sight of what you want so easily. When your back is against the wall and the outcome wont change, perservere till your body fails you.' Loosening his grip and allowing him drop, Darius would turn his view from the young Shinigami and conclude... 'You have gained access into the Fortress, yet steady growth is required to keep it so.'

Seraph was caught unawares by Darius' phenomenal movement. In the same duration as his eyelids could afford to twitch, The Second's captain had easily traversed the space between them.
Funny, he was certain Darius was no 'runner'. In fact, Seraph had begun to doubt that the methods the court of pure souls used in selecting its captains was authentic, but now - having been grabbed by the throat at speed levels faster than his senses could perceive - Seraph had come to realise those doubts were wrongly placed. Seraph lessened his annoyance, if something should be annoying him it should have been his disturbing weakness and not Darius' strength. The wiser choice at the moment was for Seraph to swallow this humiliation, bitter as it was, and ensure that the aftertaste of this endeavor haunted him from now henceforth. Subsequently, Seraph drops to the floor with a thud noise after Darius weakens his grip. Engraving the things Darius' had said into his mind, body and soul, the blonde shinigami would've proceeded to exit the barracks of The Second. However, he would've done so with his dominant hand clenched to such an extent that subcutaneous veins became conspicuous, following which a trickle of viable blood would have dribbled down that very hand, dotting the ground with crimson-red patches.

With the sun already up in the sky and its gentle rays rested upon his olive skin, a bald headed shinigami walked up the lonely stairway with nothing but a golden staff at his back and his sets of prayer beads wrapped around his right wrist. Dazzled at the lack of presence within his immediate vicinity the shinigami advanced higher up the flight of stairs, counting the beads on his hands as he did.

Clothed in what appeared to be a standard black kimono, randomly ripped at the top, the shinigami quickly let out a sigh in acknowledge of his tardiness and the presence of his captain only a few meters ahead. Not like this he muttered as he considered meeting him in such state.

Not much had been said between him and his captain for a while and it was about time he remedied that situation. However, meeting him or any other person tattered was one thing he scorned.

In steady silent steps, kin approached the end of his journey up, only to in a blur see his captain dash forward towards a blond shinigami same height as him as they dialogued in riddles. “You're far too young to lose sight of what you want so easily. When your back is against the wall and the outcome won’t change, persevere till your body fails you”

Watching on as the captain let go his grip, kin would observe with keen interest the shoulder length blond haired figure, with his twin zanpaktou strapped to his waist. “Now who do we have here?” he would utter as he slowly matches forward towards the two individuals.

Raising his right hand to the air, Kin would wave a signal to the air, one not meant for any of the two individuals before returning his hand back to the folded pattern in front of him.

"Captain” he would utter with a nod as his eyes drifts back to the shinigami who appeared a little shocked from whatever had transpired between them.

"Uhmm, could you be Kirara seraph?” He would question while glancing into his crimson colored eyes.